Reaccreditation for emergency preparedness at Basildon University Hospital

Once again Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is flying the kite mark for emergency preparedness.

The Trust had to demonstrate to the British Standards Institute (BSI) how its business continuity plans would ensure we continue to provide patient care during an unexpected crisis or emergency. These might include a flu epidemic, a terrorist attack or a loss of power, telephone or IT systems.

The importance of such plans was highlighted recently during the cyber-attack, during which the IT department at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals immediately shut down certain systems to protect data, when the attack came to light.

Mandy Brokenshow, emergency planning liaison officer, explains: “The Trust takes its responsibilities very seriously. We invest considerable time and money to ensure that we have the knowledge and the plans in place to continue to provide patient care and services in emergency situations.

“This was perfectly demonstrated during the recent cyber-attack, when robust and resilient business continuity plans and processes in place across the Trust came to the fore. It was also reflected in our quick recovery from the incident and return to business as usual.”

Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital was the first acute hospital in the country to be awarded a kite mark by the British Standards Institute (BSI) in 2012 for its business continuity plans. The BSI ISO 22301accreditation is one of the most highly regarded symbols of quality and integrity and the Trust gets audited annually to ensure continued compliance.